Aircraft may provide positional data to flight control centers so that the flight control centers may monitor flight patterns to prevent potential collisions between aircraft. Providing aircraft location to flight control centers may be accomplished using a transponder to transmit the position data of the aircraft to the flight control center, together with data identifying the aircraft sending the information. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires aircraft to have a transponder for sending the position data of the aircraft to flight control centers.
UAVs are unmanned aerial vehicles that may be controlled by an operator on the ground via a ground control station. Alternatively, the UAV may be controlled by preprogrammed sequences and may transmit information to the ground control station. UAVs may be deployed on missions in which the UAV may fly out of the line of sight of an operator at the ground control station. UAVs may typically fly distances of 10-15 km away from the ground control station, and may have longer ranges, depending on the fuel capacity of the UAV and the transmission range of the UAV's on-board transmitter.
In order to avoid collisions between the UAV and other aerial vehicles, some prior art has employed sensors such as gimbaled video sensors in an attempt to provide visual information about the UAV's surroundings and possible collision risks. However, these sensors are limited in that they lack the ability to provide a full range of visualization in real time.
UAVs may be used in a variety of applications in which it may be desirable to transmit the position of the UAV to a flight control center for monitoring flight patterns and preventing in-air collisions. Additionally, UAVs may be required by the FAA to provide position data to flight control centers when deployed in common airspace.
UAVs may be used in military applications. Military flight control may require that the position data of the UAV be transmitted to central military flight control in order to prevent collisions between deployed military vehicles.
Search and rescue missions may employ UAVs. For example, the Coast Guard may employ a UAV to perform reconnaissance or to locate watercraft. It may be desirable for the UAV to transmit its position to a Coast Guard control center so that the Coast Guard control center may then compare the position of the UAV with target coordinates of the watercraft or of the site being monitored in order to help the UAV reach its target, or to obtain estimated coordinates for a target based on readings from sensors on the UAV and position data of the UAV. Similarly, UAVs may be used in police operations, in which the police authority may desire to receive positional data of the UAV in order to monitor its position, to aid the UAV in reaching a target, and to prevent collisions with other police, civilian, or military aerial vehicles.
Typically, aircraft transmit their position data via an onboard transponder. However, UAVs may have a total weight of fourteen pounds or less, and a typical transponder may weigh five pounds. Although it may be beneficial to transmit the position of the UAV to a central flight center, the weight of a transponder may be cumbersome, difficult to carry, or too heavy for the UAV.
Therefore, an improved method of providing UAV position data to a central flight control is needed.